


Chipped But Whole

by sweetsnow73



Category: The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Retrograde Amnesia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:20:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22257091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetsnow73/pseuds/sweetsnow73
Summary: You forget but thankfully the heart doesn't.
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Chipped But Whole

The first thing you become aware of is the sun. It's too hot and is beating down on you. You can barely keep your eyes open. You are looking down at your sandaled feet and chipped but painted toe nails.

Your brain slowly pieces together a understanding of where you are but it's not in a way the actually helps. You are surrounding by suburban houses and chalk white sidewalks, and you then notice the shuffling of people close to you. You look around, none of these faces look familiar. This place doesn't look familiar.

You felt a creep up you spine, and you turn around. You see more people, shuffling forward, they look tired and barely notice if they bump into someone around them. You look ahead and see nothing of note to what they could be walking towards. You try to remember why you were walking here but nothing came to mind.

You open your mouth to say something, but before words could come out there is a roar. You turn, a few others do as well. Then the running starts. Some screams but you can't seem to get your body to feel like it _should_ move. It doesn't want to.

What appears to be a large green man is running towards you. Maybe not you specifically but in your direction. You look around again. People are running now, life to their faces and energy in their steps but you stand still.

The large green man slows down from a run to a walk to stopping in front of you. He sits in a way that blocks you from the sun and you look up at his face.

You think he looks sad.

**…**

It quickly becomes obvious you are missing some very important information.

Between how the big green man shrank down, the flying metal man and the swarms of people in black matching uniforms you got the clear impression something was going on.

The problem seemed to be with you rather than everyone else. They spoke about you like they knew you for a long time. The jet ride back to the base you found yourself in was awkward. The first hint of something was weird is how they had decided not to keep you with the rest of the shambling people, you sat surrounded by the powerful people. You saw the shock and disappointment when it became clear you didn't know who they were.

From there you were shuffled into what you thought a boardroom for a big company would look like. You sat in a chair at a long glossy table. There was a projector at one end and a long wall of windows to your back. You were nursing a cup of water, and that green man (Bruce, his name was Bruce, and he wasn't always a giant green man, apparently) was sitting near you. He kept looking at you like he needed to say something but could never say it.

You would spare him a smile, you hoped was comforting. You didn't remember him but given how he had held you on the plane ride over he obviously knew you, maybe you were friends? You were a rather affectionate person with your friends.

You side eye Bruce, and then sigh.

“If...there's something I'm missing I need you to tell me the truth, you seem like a nice guy.” Another smile you hope comes off as comforting.

Before he could even try to talk someone came in and handed you a folder.

“Here, I think this will help. I'm a therapist and I'm here to help.” The man sits down, “I'm Doctor Smith and-”  
  
Before you finish reading a sentence you gasp and interrupt, “No offense but shouldn't we...be discussing this...alone?”

Smith looks down at his own notes, and seems to reread something.

“Ah oh my, I thought this was Mr. Banner,” he looks between the two of you, “ he is your husband correct?”

“No!” “Yes”

“Oh, hmm seems the amnesia is more reaching then initially thought. We'll have to...start from the beginning.”

…

It wasn't that it was a terrible concept to be married to someone, not in the least. And Bruce had been nothing but polite since you met him.

You had been kidnapped as part of an attempt at mass mind control and as far as anyone can tell it was a random event. The individual in charge hadn't ransomed you so it seemed to be a good bet that they didn't know of your connection to the Avengers.

After a preliminary attack at a base the whole project, including you and the hundreds of others, were dumped. Abandon ship, as it were. They didn't capture the ring leader yet. During this explanation you look at your hands and note that you didn't have a ring, so you suppose it got stolen, if you had one.

The kind Dr. Smith gave you some space after a while. Leaving you and your husband seated at the table.

“So...”

He looks up, he hadn't liked making eye contact with you up until this point.

“Uh. Did we have a bitchin' wedding?”

He smiled and you think it's a lovely smile.

…

Your home was familiar but your mind couldn't bring any memories to the surface.

There were pictures of you, him and the children.

Which was it's own Pandora's box. Thankfully they were away at the moment.

“So we adopted them?”  
  
“oh? Hmm yes, you always felt strongly about adoption...”  
  
You smile, you are nervous to met them but were so happy you got to fulfill that life goal. The you in the photos were strange to look at, it was you, yes, but it lacked that click. That spark and fondness of looking back. You understood and recognized yourself but in the way you would a dear friend. With some distance.

Not a terrible life you seem to have made for yourself. The house was lovely enough, nothing too fancy, lots of dark wood floors. Bright high ceilings. Lots of plants.

One of the childrens' room had a wall of books and a hanging solar system, you look around. A clean but well loved space.

“So...,” you neglect to look at him as you look at the homework on the desk, “are we..happy?”

“I'd...I'd like to think so.”

When you turn around he has a shy smile, makes him look boyishly handsome.

“Bruce..this has got to be hard for you. You have...memories that I don't. I mean,” you make a gesture like a flip, “I guess I still have them all deep down. I hope they come back.”

You've kept your distance from this man, this man you married.

“It's just I understand if this is too much. I don't want you to hurt. I can leave for a while or-”  
  
“No! Please...no” He steps towards you and you watch him.

He's thinking, unsure. There's no manual for “my spouse has amnesia due to a evil master mind attempting mind control”.

“Even though you can't remember, since the day we've met you've...always been thoughtful and...ah, “ he has a faint dusting of red on his face now, it was adorable, “full of care and love. For me, and others and despite my situation, despite all the others you could have picked...you picked me. I want to...”

He takes off his glasses, still blushing and rubbing his face.

“I want to earn your love all over again, I want to keep you safe, and if you don't love me the same I want to know that you'll be alright.”

You aren't sure what kind of relationship you had with this man before, other than clearly one based on love. Love enough to bring children into the fold and love enough to make him want to do his best for you.

You walk over and give him a hug.

The situation was a bizarre one, and yet when he returned the hug you knew that feeling. Some nugget inside you remembered his warmth. That would be a enough of a place to start, in that safe warm familiarity.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a dream I had, and I woke up like "Dang Bruce gotta romance all over again" which is a debatable skill of his. Which Bruce is this? Not sure, dreams are weird like that. Mark Ruffalo is my favorite actor to play him though. I wish I had more of a coherent plot but it's more of a feeling. So I hope I did good.png. Thank you for reading (dabs)


End file.
